Contend for the Faith!

I was having a great back and forth discussion with a lovely fellow blogger and we happened upon Jude 1, which I have read before, but this scripture so stirred me up, I just had to take a look at it again.

The book of Jude is aptly named because it was written by Jude, the brother of James. Jude was writing the church and admonishing them to contend for the faith! Reading these words excited me because this is what we need in the church today. Our faith is under attack!

4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Be careful of those who come in with a “false grace” who tell you that God winks at sin and that there is more than one way to get to God other than Jesus Christ. Run from these kind of teachers and teaching.

Jude goes on to remind the church that God delivered his people, only to destroy them later! Let me tell you, you will never hear a preacher say this today! God also condemned His own angels who turned from Him, thus Satan and his demons. Remember they once belonged to God, but they were cast out of heaven.

In verse 8, Jude speaks of the strength of their dreams these people pollute their bodies, reject authority and abuse angels, but Michael the archangel did not condemn them, when disputing over Moses body. He simply said THE LORD rebuke you. God is the only one who can condemn.

Often when the ungodly do not understand, they carry on as irrational beast and they perish. God’s coming condemnation is clear:

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e]16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. Be careful of those who flatter you! It’s for their OWN advantage.

Finally, we as believers must PERSEVERE!!! And here is why:

7 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[f]

Watch out for those who are living life unto themselves! But be merciful to the doubters and save others by snatching them! It’s a balancing act of mercy mixed with fear.

Enough said! Amen!

Jude 1

The Power of Prophecy

All this past weekend, I have grappled with doing something, I felt it was necessary. I asked a friend for advice, but they advised me not to. But yesterday, I felt that it was something that needed to be done and I felt a peace about it. When I thought about it, I felt in my spirit that I was being a protector.

I left the library after doing what I felt I needed to do via email and I had total peace and when I arrived home, in the mailbox was a letter from my prophetic mentors son (a known accurate prophet) and He had sent me an extensive word from the Lord and in the word God was proclaiming that He had and is raising me up to be a PROTECTOR. Thank God for the power of prophecy. Whether the person believes it or not is inconsequential. I know I did the right thing.

Also in the Word from the Lord, was another word about moving again. I am no longer going to blog about moving anymore. When the provision comes and there is an open door, I will know it is time and I will blog about it, after it’s over. But I WILL obey God, cased closed period.

John 2:1-5

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman,^[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”